SWIIMERS - [SWIIMERS HIGH] 1st Album

SWIIMERS - [SWIIMERS HIGH] 1st Album

Release Date: October 22, 2025

 

Depending on versions, contents (cover, photo book, mini book, photo cards, posters, etc.) in the official album package may vary.

 

All products are officially distributed BRAND NEW and FACTORY SEALED packages.

Your purchase quantity will count towards HANTEO, CIRCLE (GAON) and BILLBOARD Charts.

 

[Track List]

DISK(CD) 1.
01. 아름다운 시절
02. MOMMY
03. Erika
04. Knight Verse (2025)
05. Neon Blue
06. Ice & Fire
07. 영원을 믿지 않아도 (2025)
08. Gravity (닻)
09. Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis
10. 우리가 닮았다는 거짓말로 (Watermark)
11. Winter Resolution (2025)
12. Swiimers High

 

Description (Translated):

Swiimers 1st regular album [Swiimers High]


On winter days back then, we'd just chat, cry, get drunk, meet, part ways, and then meet again in a flash. Time strangely passed and overflowed, so even though I didn't believe in eternity, every day felt like eternity. I savored the fleeting moments, like a breath passing by or a flowing drink. It was so desperate that even fleeting moments didn't make me regret it.

Swimmers' first full-length album, [SWIIMERS HIGH], brings back a dreamlike recollection of a forgotten winter day. Ten years have passed since their debut single, "Polaris" (2015), but Swimmers still float effortlessly above the moment.

The album is filled with 12 songs that capture and capture the flow of time. They capture moments that drift, evaporate, flicker, and pour, unfolding them with thick guitar noise and whispering vocals. Despite the kaleidoscopic, dazzling, and sometimes precarious sound that permeates the songs, there's no sense of unease. Perhaps it's thanks to the band's mature craftsmanship. In addition to original members Jo Min-kyung (guitar/vocals) and Jang Seon-woong (drums), new member Song Jae-kyung (guitar/producer) has joined.

The previously released singles that make up the 'Promise Trilogy', including 'Even If You Don't Believe in Forever', 'King's Verse', and 'Winter Resolution', form the backbone of the album, and things that are beautiful but impermanent fill the gaps.

This is true from the first song, "Beautiful Times." The old days summoned from a long drift offer no comfort, yet they are inevitably beautiful. "Gravity" attempts to anchor the "now," where "butterflies flutter and flower rain pours," yet cannot last forever. Meanwhile, "Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis" chooses to become a mere flowing wave rather than anchoring itself to the moment.

Naturally, the desire to linger in fleeting beauty often tires. The second track and title track, "MOMMY," embraces the desire to escape "from this incompetent and useless body," saying, "It's not your fault." A tender melody embraces the arduous despair. It's a heartwarming consolation.

As we navigate through the fragments of time, the song that unexpectedly catches our attention is "Neon Blue." It's a deep, low voice rarely heard from Swimmers. It glows like neon and is as warm as an incandescent light bulb. The final track, "SWIIMERS HIGH," which also serves as the album title, is a true celebration of the moment. It evokes dreams of heights beyond measure, depths beyond comprehension, and perhaps an endless swim in eternity.

After completing all 12 songs, my body and mind feel sharper. Is this a good thing? I'm not sure, but it will help make life more exciting. It's refreshing and dizzying, like a beer after a swim.

/ Kyunghyang Shinmun reporter Kim Ji-hye


[Swiimers High] Producer’s Note

Noise rock with the heart of K-pop, ready to take on the world.


Having wandered the fringes of the Korean pop music scene for over 30 years as a fan, musician, producer, engineer, creator, and lyricist, I have witnessed and experienced many ups and downs, as well as joys and sorrows. The common characteristic of musicians who last a long time is 'irreplaceability.'

While making this album, I thought a lot about why Swimmers exists, why it can't be anything other than Swimmers.

Swimmers' lyrics are exquisite and highly accomplished. Perhaps even close to pure literature, even poetry, they are so concise and complex that they require careful examination to uncover hidden meanings. May the spirit embedded in "MOMMY," the indelible pain of "Knight Verse," the lives and reflections of contemporary youth depicted in "Neon Blue," and the comfort contained in "Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis" be fully conveyed.

Swimmers' musical spectrum is wide, but their sound is concise and consistent.
Jomichi, who enjoys listening to post/indie rock genres such as Bon Iver, Sigur Ros, Joy Division, and Slowdive, but is also a fan of Espa and Crush, has a complex musical taste, while Jang Seon-woong enjoys straight rock like Acidman and Arctic Monkeys, and this is the foundation of Swimmers' sound.
The dreamy sounds of guitar effects and synthesizers pile up like a fluffy blanket atop a refreshing rhythm, and when the lively pop melody and Jomichi's airy vocals are nestled snugly within, the result is a sound that can only be described as "like Swimmers." As a producer, I'd like to define it as "noise rock with the heart of K-pop."

Swimmers has a solid foundation and wide scalability.
Their debut EP, released in 2016, garnered considerable attention both domestically and internationally. Their appearance at the 2017 Liverpool Sound Festival and club tours in the UK and Berlin further solidified their potential in the international market. Their pre-release single "Erika," released in September, received rave reviews from music magazines in countries like Poland and Canada, and their upcoming tour in Thailand and Japan in November is also generating significant anticipation.

Swimmers' expansiveness can also be explained by genre. Beginning with the languid bedroom-pop sensibility of the opening track "Beautiful Days," the album continues with the bouncy guitar-pop of "MOMMY," "Neon Blue," reminiscent of the early days of the Korean indie scene, "Ice & Fire," a treat for fans of traditional post-rock, "Gravity," a wedding anthem, and "Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis," an homage to shoegaze legends. This album is a colorful gift set filled with a diverse range of music.

Although a lot of time has passed since the EP and the full-length album, activities have continued steadily, with single releases such as "Even If You Don't Believe in Eternity" (2018), "Knight Verse" (2022), and "Winter Resolution" (2022). Starting in 2024, 9 (= I'm the one...), who had previously only participated as a producer and producer, joined the guitar team to reorganize the overall live sound and lay the foundation for activities by getting used to the stage feel through regular performances at Hongdae clubs. Now, they are ready to expand into the world.

/ 9 (Song Jae-kyung)


[Swimers]
Jomichi MQ CHO
Jang Sun Woong
Jay Song


[Tracks]

01. Beautiful Times
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers


02. MOMMY
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Music video M/V directed by
Kim Yoo Seok


03. Erika
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Music Video M/V Artwork by
Pory (with MidJourney)


04. Knight Verse
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Music Video M/V Artwork by
Pory


05. Neon Blue
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers


06. Ice & Fire
Lyrics by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Composed by
Jay Song

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Music video M/V film by
Jomichi MQ CHO


07. Even if you don't believe in eternity
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

All Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Except Bass by
Kim Nam Yoon (Line 3 Butterfly)

Music video M/V film by
Jomichi MQ CHO


08. Gravity (Anchor)
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers


09. Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis
Lyrics by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO
Jay Song

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers


10. The Lie That We Look Alike (Watermark)
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers


11. Winter Resolution
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Music video M/V film by
Jomichi MQ CHO


12. Swiimers High
Lyrics and Composed by
Jomichi MQ CHO

Arranged and Performed by
Swimmers

Music Video M/V Film by
Sean Yoo (Lilly Eat Machine)
Jomichi MQ CHO


[Credits]

Produced by
Jay Song

Recorded by
Jay Song (Lil Folks Studio)
Jomichi MQ CHO (Dazed & Abandoned Studio)

Except
Drums on Tracks 2, 6, 9 by Lee Sang-cheol (Tone Studio)
Drums on Track 1, 10, 12 Ryu Hogan (Studio Tardis)
Drums on Track 7 Yonghee Park (Black Key Studio)
Guitar on Track 4 Lee Jae-hyun
Bass on Track 7 Namyoon Kim (Southpole Soundlab)

Mixed by
Jay Song (Lil Folks Studio)

Mastered by
Chae Seung-kyun (Sonic Korea)

Cover Artwork by
Jaemin Lee (Studio fnt.)
Cover Image by Louis Fleckenstein, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public Domain)

Photography by
Mugung Girl (Mugung)

Hair & Makeup by
Chrysanthemum (GH Makeup)

Styling by
Sooksmell

Management
Choi In Hee (ORM ENT.)

Executive Producer
Swimmers

 

Description (Original):

Swiimers 정규 1집 [Swiimers High]


그 시절 겨울날이면 우리는 그저 떠들고 울고 취해서 만났다 헤어지고 금세 또 만났다. 시간이 이상하게 차고 넘쳐서, 영원을 믿지 않아도 이미 매일이 영원 같았다. 번지는 입김이나 흐르는 술처럼 금세 사라지는 것들을 오래 음미했다. 하도 절박해서, 찰나여도 아쉽지가 않았다.

밴드 스위머스의 첫 정규앨범 [SWIIMERS HIGH]는 잊어버린 그 겨울날을 꿈결처럼 되돌려준다. 첫 싱글 'Polaris'(2015) 이후 10년이 흘렀어도, 스위머스는 여전히 유영하듯 당연하게 '순간' 위에 있다.

흐르는 시간을 붙잡아 벼린 12곡이 앨범을 채웠다. 표류하고, 휘발되며, 깜빡이고, 쏟아지는 순간들을 잡아채 두터운 기타 노이즈와 속삭이는 목소리로 펼쳐냈다. 만화경처럼 어지럽고 화려한, 때로는 위태로운 사운드가 곡을 가득 채워도 불안이 느껴지진 않는다. 밴드의 무르익은 솜씨 덕분일까. 원년 멤버인 리더 조민경(기타·보컬)과 장선웅(드럼)에 더해 송재경(기타·프로듀서)가 새 멤버로 합류했다.

'영원을 믿지 않아도'와 'Kinght Verse', 'Winter Resolution'까지 '약속 3부작'을 이룬 기발표 싱글들이 앨범의 뼈대가 되고, 영원하지 못해 영원처럼 아름다운 것들이 그 사이를 채운다.

첫 곡 '아름다운 시절' 부터 그렇다. 긴긴 표류 위로 소환된 옛 시절은 도무지 위로가 되지 않아도, 어쩔 수 없이 아름답다. 'Gravity(닻)'는 “나비가 날아다니고 꽃비가 쏟아지는”, 그러나 영원할 수 없는 '지금'을 닻처럼 묶어두려 하고, 'Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis'에선 순간에 정박하는 대신 그저 흐르는 파도가 되는 쪽을 택한다.

당연하게도, 곧 휘발하는 아름다움에 머물고 싶은 마음은 자주 지친다. 두 번째 트랙이자 타이틀곡 'MOMMY'는 “무능하고 무용한 몸으로부터” 떨어지고 싶은 마음에게 “네 잘못이 아냐”라며 안아준다. 고된 절망을 다정한 멜로디가 껴안는다. 가슴 벅찬 위로다.

부서지는 시간 사이를 항해하는 속에 뜻밖에 귀를 잡아끄는 곡은 'Neon Blue'다. 스위머스에게서 듣기 어려웠던 낮은 목소리다. 네온처럼 빛나고 백열전구처럼 따스하다. 마지막 곡이자 앨범명이기도 한 'SWIIMERS HIGH'는 그야말로 순간의 축제다. 높이 없는 높이, 깊이 모를 깊이, 어쩌면 영원 속에서의 끝없는 유영을 꿈꾸게 한다.

12곡을 다 통과하고 나면, 어쩐지 몸과 마음이 예민해진다. 좋은 일일까. 잘은 몰라도, 삶이 지금보다 짜릿해지는 데 도움이 될 것이다. 수영 후에 마시는 맥주처럼, 시원하고 어지럽다.

/ 경향신문 김지혜 기자


[Swiimers High] Producer's Note

K-Pop의 심장을 가진 노이즈 록, 세계로 뻗어나갈 준비 완료


팬, 뮤지션, 프로듀서, 엔지니어, 제작자, 작사가로 한국 대중음악계의 변방을 유랑해온 지난 30여 년간 많은 희로애락과 흥망성쇠를 목도하고 경험해 본 바, 오래 남는 뮤지션의 공통적인 특징은 '대체 불가성'이다.

이번 앨범을 만들며 스위머스가 있어야 하는 이유, 스위머스가 아니면 안 되는 이유에 대해 많이 생각했다.

스위머스의 노랫말은 매우 아름답고 완성도가 높다. 어쩌면 순수문학, 시에 가깝다고 할 수 있는데, 그만큼 함축적이고 어렵기도 해서 유심히 살펴봐야 숨은 의미들을 찾아낼 수 있다. 'MOMMY'에 깃든 어떤 정신, 'Knight Verse'의 지울 수 없는 아픔, 'Neon Blue'가 그리는 이 시대 청춘의 삶과 상념, 'Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis'에 담긴 위로가 온전히 전해질 수 있기를.

스위머스의 음악 스펙트럼은 넓지만 사운드는 간결하고 일관적이다.
Bon Iver, Sigur Ros, Joy Division, Slowdive 등 포스트/인디록 계통을 즐겨 듣지만 알고 보면 에스파와 크러쉬의 팬이기도 한 조미치의 복합적인 음악 취향과, Acidman, Arctic Monkeys와 같은 스트레이트한 록을 즐기는 장선웅의 취향이 스위머스 사운드의 토대를 이룬다.
청량한 리듬 위에 기타 이펙터와 신시사이저가 자아내는 꿈결 같은 소리들이 폭신한 이불처럼 쌓이고, 훅이 살아있는 팝적인 멜로디와 공기(Air) 가득한 조미치의 목소리가 그 안에 포근히 파묻히면 '스위머스 같다'고 밖에는 설명할 수 없는 사운드가 완성된다. 프로듀서로서 'K-Pop의 심장을 가진 노이즈 록' 정도로 정의하고 싶다.

스위머스는 탄탄한 기반과 폭넓은 확장성을 갖고 있다.
2016년 발매된 데뷔 EP는 국내뿐만 아니라 해외에서도 소소한 관심을 받은 바 있으며, 2017년 리버풀 사운드 페스티벌 출연과 영국, 베를린 클럽 투어를 통해 스위머스는 해외 시장에서의 가능성을 확인했다. 올해 9월 선공개된 싱글 'Erika'는 폴란드, 캐나다 등지의 음악 웹진으로부터 호평을 받았고 11월 예정된 태국, 일본 투어도 현지에서 많은 기대를 받고 있다.

스위머스의 확장성은 장르적으로도 설명될 수 있다. 나른한 베드 룸 팝 감성의 첫 곡 '아름다운 시절'을 시작으로 통통 튀는 기타 팝 'MOMMY', 초기 국내 인디 씬을 연상시키는 'Neon Blue', 정통 포스트록 팬들이 반길 만한 'Ice & Fire', 결혼식 축가로 만들어진 'Gravity', 슈게이징 레전드에 대한 오마주를 담은 'Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis'까지 이번 앨범에는 형형색색의 음악이 종합선물세트처럼 담겨있다.

EP 이후 정규까지 많은 시간이 흘렀지만 '영원을 믿지 않아도'(2018), 'Knight Verse'(2022), 'Winter Resolution'(2022) 싱글 발매 등 활동은 꾸준히 이어져왔다. 2024년부터는 그간 제작자 겸 프로듀서로만 참여해온 9(=접니다...)가 기타 멤버로 들어와 라이브 사운드 전반을 정비하고, 홍대 클럽 정기 공연으로 무대 감각을 익히는 등 활동 기반을 다졌다. 이제 세계로 뻗어나갈 준비가 끝난 것이다.

/ 9(송재경)


[스위머스 Swiimers]
조미치 MQ CHO
장선웅 Jang Sun Woong
송재경 Jay Song


[Tracks]

01. 아름다운 시절
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers


02. MOMMY
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

뮤직비디오 M/V directed by
김유석 Kim Yoo Seok


03. Erika
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

뮤직비디오 M/V Artwork by
포리 Pory (with MidJourney)


04. Knight Verse
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

뮤직비디오 M/V Artwork by
포리 Pory


05. Neon Blue
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers


06. Ice & Fire
작사 Lyrics by
조미치 MQ CHO

작곡 Composed by
송재경 Jay Song

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

뮤직비디오 M/V film by
조미치 MQ CHO


07. 영원을 믿지 않아도
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 All Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

Except Bass by
김남윤 Kim Nam Yoon (3호선 버터플라이)

뮤직비디오 M/V film by
조미치 MQ CHO


08. Gravity (닻)
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers


09. Butterfly : Non Terra Sed Aquis
작사 Lyrics by
조미치 MQ CHO

작곡 Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO
송재경 Jay Song

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers


10. 우리가 닮았다는 거짓말로 (Watermark)
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers


11. Winter Resolution
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

뮤직비디오 M/V film by
조미치 MQ CHO


12. Swiimers High
작사/작곡 Lyrics and Composed by
조미치 MQ CHO

편곡/연주 Arranged and Performed by
스위머스 Swiimers

뮤직비디오 M/V Film by
션 Sean Yoo (Lilly Eat Machine)
조미치 MQ CHO


[Credits]

프로듀스 Produced by
송재경 Jay Song

녹음 Recorded by
송재경 Jay Song (Lil Folks Studio)
조미치 MQ CHO (Dazed & Abandoned Studio)

Except
Drums on Track 2, 6, 9 이상철 (Tone Studio)
Drums on Track 1, 10, 12 류호건 (Studio Tardis)
Drums on Track 7 박용희 (Black Key Studio)
Guitar on Track 4 이재현
Bass on Track 7 김남윤 (Southpole Soundlab)

믹싱 Mixed by
송재경 Jay Song (Lil Folks Studio)

마스터링 Mastered by
채승균 Chae Seung-kyun (소닉 코리아 Sonic Korea)

표지 아트워크 Cover Artwork by
이재민 Jaemin Lee (Studio fnt.)
Cover Image by Louis Fleckenstein, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public Domain)

사진 Photography by
무궁화 소녀 (Mugung)

헤어&메이크업 Hair & Makeup by
국화 (GH Makeup)

스타일링 Styling by
향숙 (Sooksmell)

매니지먼트 Management
최인희 Choi In Hee (오름 엔터테인먼트 ORM ENT.)

제작 Executive Producer
스위머스 Swiimers